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Mammoth Entry List Confirmed for 40th Anniversary Historics

More than 200 pre-1961 historic cars and motorcycles will compete in the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCCA) 40th anniversary of Australia’s first all-historic race meeting, to be held at Wakefield Park on 17-18 September.

The entry list for the commemorative race meeting was confirmed at yesterday’s official event launch at the Goulburn Visitor Information Centre yesterday, with event organisers and a couple of historic vehicles in attendance.

Wakefield Park operations manager Matt Baragwanath said the mammoth entry list includes a large number of interstate competitors.

“We have drivers and cars travelling from South Australia, Victoria and Northern NSW, as well as Queensland,” Mr Baragwanath said.

“We’re very impressed with the number of entries, especially considering we restricted it to pre-1961 cars.”

Rob Rowe (motorcycle) and John Lackey (MG Q-Type) will be two attendees at the 40th anniversary historic race meeting. (Destination Goulburn Australia)

Key event organiser John Medley was present at the first historic race meeting at Amaroo Park back in 1976, and is excited to recreate the atmosphere from that meeting.

“Back then, we were trying to indicate to people how good motor racing had been before the sedan cars took over and populated our world,” Mr Medley said.

“We were able to bring out many splendid sports cars and we had a great weekend, and I can’t wait to resurrect that sort of atmosphere at Wakefield Park.

Motorcycle enthusiast Rob Rowe has been instrumental in attracting a healthy contingent of historic bikes to the event.

“We’re concentrating on machines that date all the way back to 1925,” Mr Rowe said.

“What we’re trying to do is get those bikes out of the shed and back onto the racetrack where they look and sound fabulous.”

While much of the attention will be focused upon the on-track action, there will also be a vast array of historic cars and bikes parked on static display, for spectators to admire up-close.

One such car is the MG Q-Type owned by John Lackey, one of just eight produced by the British sports car manufacturer.

“It was made in 1934, and was last raced in 1953 by a chemist from Sydney,” Mr Lackey said.

The race meeting will consist of pre and post-war regularity events, along with races for both cars and bikes. A highlight for spectators will be the handicap races, in which the slower cars receive a head start and the faster cars have to work their way to the front.

Tickets for the VSCCA 40th anniversary race meeting will be available for $25 per day or $45 for a weekend pass, with children under 16 free.